Target Workplace Foundation Skills
Purpose
This is to use in the lesson
Effective communication is more than just what a person thinks is right. Effective communication also means considering what other people are saying, thinking, and feeling. For an argument of discussion to be beneficial, people must be capable of effective communication. Using moral dilemma scenarios, students will practice empathy as they use self-control skills that make solving problems more effective.
Review
This is to use in the lesson
5 minutes
Ask students to describe the difference between “I” statements and “you” statements. Have them discuss how “you” statements make them feel when confronted by a coworker or supervisor. Ask them how “I” statements make them feel. Explain that today’s lesson will attempt to move an argument away from “you” statements toward less aggressive “I” statements. A disagreement will then reflect a measure of self-control, allowing participants to take responsibility for their actions. Ask students what outcomes could potentially come from using assertive communication. Could using assertive communication change how people talk with you? Why or why not?
Have students think about how much they use passive-aggressive versus aggressive communication. Have them think about where we learn our communication styles and evaluate the percentage of how much they use of each on the line below. Ask them why they think they use that amount of passive-aggressive communication. Why do they think they use that amount of aggressive communication?
Where do you use passive-aggressive communication the most? Where do you use aggressive communication the most?
Refer students to the actions, thoughts, and feelings triangle. Remind them that self-control takes quick thinking, especially in an argument, and encourage students to think about strategies to maintain self-control in stressful situations.
Learning Outcomes
This is to use in the lesson
Students will:
- Model a communication skill for maintaining self-control in a stressful workplace situation.
- Take a stand on a moral dilemma scenario and state the reason for their choice and how they empathized with the other person or persons in the scenario.
Teaching Strategies
This is for you
- Make sure students are aware that the purpose of this activity is not to be right or wrong but to consider the viewpoint of another individual.
- Make sure students understand that their actions (decisions) have an impact on how other people act, feel, and think.
Vocabulary
This is to use in the lesson
Empathy: To be able to see things from the other person’s point of view.
- For example: because your manager has recently lost their spouse, you understand why they are so cranky at work.
Activity 6.1: Empathy (20 minutes)
- Watch Brene Brown’s empathy video:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Evwgu369Jw
- Divide students into pairs. Have each pair appoint a recorder.
- Give the moral dilemma worksheet (Handout 6.1) to each pair. Have pairs work together to come up with a decision on what to do for each moral dilemma.
- Discuss the responses as an entire class after pairs have completed their worksheets. Ask students to explain their decisions, how they felt coming up with that decision, and how they took into account the other person in the situation. Have students fill out the actions, thoughts, feelings form after completing the group discussion.
| How did I act during this assignment? | How did I feel having to make a hard decision? | What were my thoughts when making a decision? |
|---|---|---|
Worksheet 6.1
Moral Dilemma Scenario 1:
You are a customer in a busy restaurant where people order at the counter for food and beverage. There is an express line that has been designed for people that only want to order beverages. You have been waiting for service in the beverage-only line for five minutes without any recognition from the employees of the establishment. Finally, one of the employees informs you that someone was supposed to have taken the beverage-only sign down and that you need to go to the back of the long food and beverage line. You are not pleased and would prefer to be honored by being served anyway.
If you were the employee who informed you to move to the end of the line, what would you do? How could he show empathy in this situation?
| What was your decision? | What were you thinking and feeling coming up with this decision? | How did you empathize with the other people in this scenario? How did you take into account their situation and not just yours? |
|---|---|---|
|
Actions
|
Thinking
Feeling
|
Moral Dilemma Scenario 2:
You are a new employee at the local McDonald’s as a cashier. The friend who helped you get the job orders two full meal deals and tells you to “comp” them. He says that “We do it all the time.” You are torn between being a friend and honoring his request, but you also know that “comping” is not a practice that the manager has clarified.
How can you demonstrate empathy for your friend and the manager and act on your friend’s request?
| What was your decision? | What were you thinking and feeling coming up with this decision? | How did you empathize with the other people in this scenario? How did you take into account their situation and not just yours? |
|---|---|---|
|
Actions
|
Thinking
Feeling
|
Moral Dilemma Scenario 3:
You are working as a busser at a local restaurant, and it is near closing time. You have several pots and pans to clean, and one of your co-workers informs you that she has a date and would like to leave a little early. You are the only two employees left in the restaurant. There are still customers finishing their meals. She asks you to cover for her since the manager has gone home. You don’t have experience with the responsibilities of closing. You value the friendship that is developing with the employee making the request to leave early. You also are unsure of what closing is all about.
What would be an empathetic action when faced with her request?
| What was your decision? | What were you thinking and feeling coming up with this decision? | How did you empathize with the other people in this scenario? How did you take into account their situation and not just yours? |
|---|---|---|
|
Actions
|
Thinking
Feeling
|
Moral Dilemma Scenario 4:
You are working as a barista at a coffee shop, and a customer complains to you that they were given the wrong drink. You are sure that you prepared the correct drink for them, but the customer insists that you are wrong, calls you incompetent, and demands a new drink.
How can you resolve this conflict while maintaining good customer service?
| What was your decision? | What were you thinking and feeling coming up with this decision? | How did you empathize with the other people in this scenario? How did you take into account their situation and not just yours? |
|---|---|---|
|
Actions
|
Thinking
Feeling
|
Check for Understanding
This is to use in the lesson
- On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being easy and 10 being hard), what was the difficulty level of thinking of different empathetic decisions? Why do you think it was that way?
- Is it difficult to put yourself in someone else’s position? Why or why not?
- What is a strategy you can use to remind yourself to show empathy (or think of someone else) during an argument or conflict with that person?
